Protector mechanism for looms



May 2, R330 A. A. GQRDQN PROTECTOR MECHANISM FOR LOOMS F1196. Jan. 18, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 22, 1933s A. A. GQRDON PROTECTOR MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed Jan. 18, 1932 2 Sheets$heet 2 Patented May 2, 1933 mrro STATES PATENT QFHCE ALBERT A. GORDON, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CROMP'I'ON &; KNOVJLES LOOM WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTSL A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS Application filed January 18, 1932. Serial No. 587,231.

This invention relates to looms and more particularly to mechanism for stopping the forward movement of the lay when a shuttle fails to box.

It is the general object of my invention to provide improved protector mechanism by which a rapidly moving lay may be stopped with less shock to the lay and to the loom frame, and with reduced strain on the driving mechanism.

More specifically, I provide protector mechanism so designed that the stopping of the lay is initially resisted by relatively lighter spring-actuated members, followed by yielding action of relatively heavy spring driving members after further forward movement of the lay is prevented.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings; in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a loom embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation, looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view, taken along the line 33 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the loom, partly in section;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail plan view, partly in section, and looking in the direction of the arrow 5 in Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view, illustrating the operation of my improved protector mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown my improvements embodied in a drop box loom which is in general of a commercial construction and comprises loom sides 10, a breast beam 11, a driving motor M, a crank-shaft 12 and a bottom or cam shaft 13. The motor M has a pinion 14: on the armature shaft which engages a large gear 15 on one end of the cam shaft 13. The gear 15 engages a gear 16 on one end of the crankshaft 12. The gears 15 and 16 are in the usual ratio of 2 to 1, so that the crank-shaft makes two revolutions to each single revolution of the cam shaft.

The cam shaft 13 is also provided with an additional large gear 15 at the left-hand end of the cam shaft, as viewed in Fig. 1, which gear 15 engages a gear 16 on the left-hand end of the crank-shaft 12.

The crank-shaft is thus positively driven at both ends, instead of being driven entirely from one end as is the more usual practice. Consequently, the strains arising on operation of the protector mechanism are more evenly distributed between the shafts 12 and 13 and torsional or twisting effect on the crank-shaft is substantially eliminated.

In orderto adjust the two sets of driving gears so that the gears at each end of the cam and crank shafts may all engage with equal pressure, I provide the gear 15 (Figs. 2 and 3) with a separate hub portion 20 to which the gear is connected by a series of bolts 21, extending through openings 22 in the inner portion of the gear 15 and through arcuate slots 23 in the hub portion 20.

The hub portion is first keyed in fixed angular position on the cam shaft 13, and the gear 15 is thereafter adjusted angularly on the hub portion 20 until the teeth of the gears 15 and 16 engage as required to give a uniform driving pressure at each end of the cam and crank shafts.

The lay 25 of my improved loom is mounted on the usual swords 26 and is oscillated by yielding crank-shaft connectors, as best shown in Fig. 4:, it being understood that one of these connectors is provided at each end of the crank-shaft and lay, as shown in Fig. 6. These yielding connectors are similar in construction and operation to the connector shown in the prior patent to Hillman, No. 1,323,391 issued December 2, 1919.

Each connector comprises a head 30 pivoted at 31 to one of the swords 26 and having two rods 32 secured therein and extending rearwardly therefrom. These rods 32 extend loosely through crank-pin bearing members 33 and 34 and are provided with adjustable lock nuts on their rear ends. Relatively heavy compression springs 36 are mounted on the rods 32 and may be adjusted by lock nuts 37 threaded on the rods 32. The springs 36 are seated against the forward side of the bearing plate 34 and force the bearing plates outward against the lock nuts 35. Ordinarily the connectors operate the same as rigid connectors but they are adapted to yield under certainconditions which will be hereinafter described.

The lay supports a protector shaft extending crosswise of the loom and having protector fingers 41 engaging the shuttle binders at the opposite ends of the lay. The shaft 40 is also provided with forwardly-projecting engaging members or daggers 42, which ordinarily pass below bunters 44 but which engage the bunters if the lay moves forward with a shuttle out of its shuttle box.

Each bunter 44 (Fig. 5) is loosely mounted in a recess in a stand 46, and an end portion 44*- of the bunter extends beyond one side of the stand into position to engage a screw 47 threaded into a shipper handle 48, which in turn is connected in the usual manner to stop the loom. The bunter 44 is recessed at 50 to receive the end of a pivot screw 51, and is provided with spaced bearing portions 52 which are yieldingly seated against an inner surface of the stand 46 by a spring plunger 53.

The plunger 53 is mounted in a bearing sleeve 55 projecting forwardly from the stand 46, and the convex rear end of the plunger engages a concave socket 57 in the front edge of the hunter. Springs 58 yieldingly press .the plungers 53 rearward, and these springs are substantially lighter than the springs 36 in the crank connectors and are readily overcome thereby.

The rear sides of the stands 46 are cut away so that one of the daggers 42 may engage :40 each bunter 44. When thus engaged, the

bunter swings about the stud 51 as a pivot, compressing its spring 58 and causing the end portion 44 of the hunter to move rearward and release the shipper handle 48, thereby stopping the loom.

After a limited yielding movement of the bunters 44, the front edge portions thereof engage shoulders 60 in the stands 46 and further forward movement thereof is thereby positively prevented. After such engagement, continued movement .of the crank-shaft compresses the heavy springs 36 in the crank connectors until the crank-shaft is brought to rest.

It will be understood that both daggers 42 are simultaneously raised and lowered, so

that they are both engaged or both disengaged from the bunters 44. If one dagger engages its .bunter slightly earlier than the other dagger, the yielding movement of the first engaged bunter relieves the unequal torsional strains previously placed on the crankshaft by such uneven engagement. Furthermore,

the fact that the crank-shaft is positively connected at both ends to the cam shaft causes any such torsional strain to be transmitted to the cam shaft and to be resisted by the combined action of both the crank-shaft and the cam shaft.

From the above description, it will be evident that I have provided protector mechanism and associated parts so designed that when the protector mechanism becomes operative the forward movement of the lay is initially resisted by a relatively light spring pressure, which is followed by the yielding action of the relatively heavy springs 36 in the crank connectors, when further forward movement of the bunters is positively prevented.

With this combination, it has been found in practice that the lay of a wide high speed worsted loom can be brought to rest with much less shock and with less breakage of parts than by the constructions previously used in which either the crank connectors or the bunters were substantially unyielding.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is 1. In a loom, a lay having protector daggers mounted thereon and means to position said daggers, a crank-shaft, connectors between said crank-shaft and said lay, bunters engageable by said daggers and movably mounted on the loom frame, springs yieldingly resisting forward movement of said bunters, means to positively limit such forward movement, and springs in said connectors yieldable when further forward movement of the lay is positively prevented, said connector springs being substantially stronger than said bunter springs and yielding only after said bunters reach their positive forward limit of movement.

2. The combination in a loom as set forth in claim 1, in which a cam shaft is provided, together with driving means therefor and positive driving connections from both ends of said cam shaft to both ends of said crankshaft, whereby shocks caused by operation of the protector mechanism will be more uniformly distributed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

ALBERT A. GORDON. 

